Greek Police Threaten IMF Arrests Due to “Austerity Demands”

As the headlines from Europe become more and more realistic (and ironically more and more Onion-worthy), Reuters notes one of the more interesting examples of just how the Greek people are feeling. The Federation of Greek Police have accused EU/IMF officials, in a formal letter, of “…blackmail, covertly abolishing or eroding democracy and national sovereignty”. While violence erupts among the largely unemployed youth, the supposedly ‘grown-up and responsible’ segment of the Greek society, which for now at least appears not to be on strike, is recognizing the wholesale destruction of their society (as 22% cuts in minimum wage for instance are thrust upon them). The Greek police, who have stood against the protesters and done their jobs facing threats and anger, are seemingly expressing solidarity with the antagonists as they call out ECB, European Commission, and IMF leaders for their destructive policies. At what point do the police throw down their riot shields and follow the Greek people into their ‘Bastille’?

Feb 10 (Reuters) – Greece’s largest police union has threatened to issue arrest warrants for officials from the country’s European Union and International Monetary Fund lenders for demanding deeply unpopular austerity measures.

In a letter obtained by Reuters on Friday, the Federation of Greek Police accused the officials of “…blackmail, covertly abolishing or eroding democracy and national sovereignty” and said one target of its warrants would be the IMF’s top official for Greece, Poul Thomsen.

The threat is largely symbolic since legal experts say a judge must first authorize such warrants, but it shows the depth of anger against foreign lenders who have demanded drastic wage and pension cuts in exchange for funds to keep Greece afloat.

“Since you are continuing this destructive policy, we warn you that you cannot make us fight against our brothers. We refuse to stand against our parents, our brothers, our children or any citizen who protests and demands a change of policy,” said the union, which represents more than two-thirds of Greek policemen.

“We warn you that as legal representatives of Greek policemen, we will issue arrest warrants for a series of legal violations … such as blackmail, covertly abolishing or eroding democracy and national sovereignty.”

The letter was also addressed to the European Central Bank’s mission chief in Greece, Klaus Masuch, and the former European Commission chief inspector for Greece, Servaas Deroose.

Policemen have borne the brunt of the anger of massed protesters who frequently march to parliament and clash with police in riot gear. Chants of “Cops, pigs, murderers!” are regularly hurled at policemen or scribbled on walls.

Thousands turned out on Friday for the latest protest in Athens, this time against new austerity measures that include a 22 percent cut in the minimum wage.

A police union official said the threat to ‘refuse to stand against’ fellow Greeks was a symbolic expression of solidarity and did not mean police would halt their efforts to stop protests getting out of hand.

This post originally appeared at Zero Hedge and is posted with permission.

I thought this little article is an important one that reveals the internal escalation of the predicament for all citizens in Greece. This article indicates to my mind that, if the police force, the publicly acknowledged power group, and as representatives of internal control of the nation's people, felt the true need to make this kind of public international declaration, then the day-to-day existence for the majority is extremely dire.
The statement is well written and is reasonable. This is not a statement of just general reactive belligerence by a reactive group.
During my earlier reading of econo-monitor today, I read the Peterson Institute's article about Hamilton and his changes to restructure and actually establish the US financial structure. This article by PI is very important. It validly explains the critical differences that are occurring for consideration within the european zone.

I personally believe that what is really an international “rational plea” by the Greek police, continues to be ignored by the international economic debators that are effectively just supporting deliberators that the only logical real result is Greek default. Default can hopefully have a more immediate positive internal outcome for the Greek people. Whatever results affect the Eurozone or other international economies, what happens is of necessity.

The present prolonging of the inevitable is causing too much suffering to too many actually within Greece and actually within the entire Euro zone, and perhaps internationally.

No political leaders either within Greece nor internationally are acknowledging true concern to the daily existence of Greek citizens. Regardless of issues of fault or blame, day-to-day real existence issues cannot continue to be denied.

It is quite obvious to me, although I do not live in Greece, that individuals, at this time, are being financially crushed to the absolute minimum levels of day-to-day existence. This is warfare of the cruelest psychological disguise, because it is disguised. The real issue that the Greek people are dealing with is the issue of financial warfare.

When the citizens finally revolt, then the issue becomes the disguise of controlling the revolutionists as terrorists. The police are rationally and reasonably recognizing the issue of confrontation that they will eventually be called upon to control. The police are recognizing that the real threat is not an internal threat, but an external threat that will cause internal destruction of the Greek society.

This destruction cannot be allowed to happen. Greece is the international symbol of the birth of democratic principles and democratic thoughts for our international world society.

If Greek citizens are left with the only option to only self destruction, then our international world society is seeing the first skirmish of deliberate international destruction of every principle and every thought of democracy.

By WHOM?

Aegean1972 February 13, 2012 at 5:24 am

Greeks have some of the lowest wages in the Eurozone and now their euroleaders want to make their salaries even lower. Thats not fair. Its not the people's fault that their politicians messed up the balance sheet for over 40 years.

Like the tough tax and austerity measures of the last 5 years werent enough, the troika wants to totally crush them. Frau Merkel and her sado-monetarism.

In 2011 Greeks (according to a recent financial article) were the most hard working europeans, with 12 hr working days and salaries of about 1000E/month.

Maybe its time the Greeks got out of the bureucratic club of German ideologues (also known as…Europe) and formed their own economy. They have a beautiful country, beautiful beaches, good weather, huge shipping industry and broad agricultural industry.